High-resolution Ce 3d-edge resonant photoemission study of CeNi_2

Resonant photoemission (RPES) at the Ce 3d -> 4f threshold has been performed for alpha-like compound CeNi_2 with extremely high energy resolution (full width at half maximum < 0.2 eV) to obtain bulk-sensitive 4f spectral weight. The on-resonance spectrum shows a sharp resolution-limited peak near the Fermi energy which can be assigned to the tail of the Kondo resonance. However, the spin-orbit side band around 0.3 eV binding energy corresponding to the f_{7/2} peak is washed out, in contrast to the RPES spectrum at the Ce 3d -> 4f RPES threshold. This is interpreted as due to the different surface sensitivity, and the bulk-sensitive Ce 3d -> 4f RPES spectra are found to be consistent with other electron spectroscopy and low energy properties for alpha-like Ce-transition metal compounds, thus resolves controversy on the interpretation of Ce compound photoemission. The 4f spectral weight over the whole valence band can also be fitted fairly well with the Gunnarsson-Schoenhammer calculation of the single impurity Anderson model, although the detailed features show some dependence on the hybridization band shape and (possibly) Ce 5d emissions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figur

Discovery of 505-million-year old chitin in the basal demosponge Vauxia gracilenta

Sponges are probably the earliest branching animals, and their fossil record dates back to the Precambrian. Identifying their skeletal structure and composition is thus a crucial step in improving our understanding of the early evolution of metazoans. Here, we present the discovery of 505-million-year-old chitin, found in exceptionally well preserved Vauxia gracilenta sponges from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale. Our new findings indicate that, given the right fossilization conditions, chitin is stable for much longer than previously suspected. The preservation of chitin in these fossils opens new avenues for research into other ancient fossil groups

Angle-resolved photoemission study of USb2: the 5f band structure

Single crystal antiferromagnetic USb2 was studied at 15K by angle-resolved photoemission with an overall energy resolution of 24 meV. The measurements unambiguously show the dispersion of extremely narrow bands situated near the Fermi level. The peak at the Fermi level represents the narrowest feature observed in 5f-electron photoemission to date. The natural linewidth of the feature just below the Fermi level is not greater than 10 meV. Normal emission data indicate a three dimensional aspect to the electronic structure of this layered material.Comment: 22 pages including figure

Monitoring ultrafast metallization in LaCoO3 with femtosecond soft x ray spectroscopy

The properties of strongly correlated materials have been successfully studied via ultrafast dynamics methods. The authors present combined experimental and theoretical results of photo-excitation of LaCoO3 to probe the mechanisms at play behind the semiconductor-to-metal transition at high temperature